Module 2 - Electricity

Triple science
 Index
Lesson Lesson Page
#

0 Drawing circuits 3

1 Static electricity and electrical fields 6

2 Static electricity applications 9

3 Charge and electric current 12

4 Potential difference, power and energy 15

5 Resistance and Ohm’s law 18

6 Current in series and parallel circuits 21

7 Potential difference in series and parallel circuits 24

8 Resistance in series vs parallel circuits 27

9 I-V graph 30

10 Sensing circuits 33

11 Electrical power 36

12 Electricity cost calculation 39

13 Mains electricity 42

14 The national grid 45

2
Lesson 0 - Drawing
circuits

We use circuit symbols to show different

components (parts) of an electrical circuit.
Circuit diagrams are drawn in pencil and a
ruler used to draw the connecting wires.

For the circuit to work, it needs to be

complete (not have any gaps in it)

Fill out the picture opposite with the

names of the different components.

There are two types of circuit, series and

parallel.

In a series circuit:
● There is only one route around the circuit.
● The current needs to flow through all of the
components.

In a parallel circuit:
● There is more than one route around the circuit.
● The current flows through multiple routes

A circuit will only work if there is a complete circuit (a path

from one end of the battery/cell back to the other side for
the current to flow. If there is a break in the circuit then it’s not complete.

3
Level I:

1. Draw the symbols for:

a) A bulb
b) A cell
c) A battery
d) A voltmeter
e) An ammeter
f) A fuse
g) An LDR
h) A thermistor
i) A resistor
j) A variable resistor
k) An LED
l) A switch
2. Look at each of the circuit diagrams to the right. Label
each one as either a series or parallel circuit. If the
circuit is parallel, write how many different routes
there are around the circuit.

Level II:

1) Draw a series circuit with two cells, a bulb and an

ammeter.
2) Draw a series circuit with a cell an open switch and a
motor.
3) Draw a series circuit with a cell, a closed switch, a
motor and a bulb.
4) Draw a circuit with two cells, and three bulbs in parallel with the cells.
5) Draw a circuit with one cell, and with a bulb and voltmeter in parallel with each other.

Level III:

1) Bulb A is unscrewed. Which bulbs are on and

which bulbs are off? Explain why.
2) Bulb D is unscrewed. Which bulbs are on and
which bulbs are off? Explain why.
3) Bulb E is unscrewed. Which bulbs are on and
which bulbs are off? Explain why.
4) Would bulb 2 be lit when the switch is open? Explain why.
5) Would bulb 1 be lit when the switch is open? Explain why.
6) Would bulb 1 be lit when the switch is closed? Explain why.

4
Exam questions
(a) Use words from the box to label the components, A, B, and C, in the circuit
diagram.

The drawing shows the circuit used to investigate how the

current through a 5 ohm (Ω) resistor changes as the potential
difference (voltage) across the resistor changes.

b) Draw, in your book, a circuit diagram of this circuit. Use the

correct symbols for each part of the circuit. (3)

c) The diagram shows a simple light-sensing circuit. The graph, supplied by the manufacturer, shows how the
resistance of the component labelled X varies with light intensity.

i) What is component X?

________________________________________________________________________________ (1)

ii) Use the graph to find the resistance of component X when the light intensity is 20 lux.

___________________________________________________________________________ (1)

5
Lesson 1 Static electricity and
electrical fields
Each subatomic particle has an electrical charge value.
Electron —> negative charge
Proton —> positive charge
Neutron —> no charge
Usually, atoms are neutral (have no overall charge). Their
number of protons is equal to the number of electrons.

Only electrons can be transferred to and from an atom. A

charged atom is called an ion.

Rule for static electricity forces:

Like charges repel.
Opposite charges attract.

Electric fields
A force field is caused by non-contact forces. These
forces do not need to be in physical contact (touching)
for an interaction of forces to take place.
Attraction/repulsion of static charges is an example of
a non-contact forces.

Electric field lines flow away from positive charges

and towards negative charges. The arrows show the
direction a positive charge would move in the field.

The closer together the field lines are, the

stronger the electric field. The strength of
the field depends on two things:

1) Increases with the amount of

charge.

2) Decreases with the distance from

the charge

6
Practice questions
Level I
1- Complete the following sentences using words from the list
below.
a) A proton has …………….. charge.
b) A neutron has …………….. charge.
c) An electron has …………….. charge.
d) A proton and an electron have ……………..
Charges.
2- Complete the following sentences using words from the list below.
electron(s) ion(s) neutron(s) nucleus (nuclei) proton(s)
a) Every atom contains a …………….. which is positively charged.
b) The nucleus of an atom is composed of …………….. and ……………...
c) The …………….. in an atom move about in the space surrounding the nucleus.
d) An uncharged atom has equal numbers of …………….. and ……………...
e) A charged atom is called an ……………...
f) An uncharged atom becomes charged as a result of transferring …………….. to or from it.
3- Is the central charge in the diagram A positive or negative? How can you
tell?

Level II
4- Which has more charge? A or B? Why?
5- What would happen if charges A and B were placed close to one
another?
6- Looking at the figure , how do the field strength compare at points A,B
and C?
7-Complete the sentence:
As the distance to the charge increases the electric field _____________________
8-How do field lines indicate where the strength of a field is the greatest?
9- If a positively charged particle is placed at point B, in which direction will it move? Explain why.

Level III
10- a) True or false?
A- An electric field is created by a charged object.
B- The neutral object creates an electric field around itself.
C- If another neutral object is in the field, it will experience a force.
D- Two different charges repel each other.
E- The further away the charges the smaller the force.
b) Correct the false ones by changing just 1 or 2 words.
11- What does the direction of the electric field line represent?
12- In terms of field lines, explain why an electric field is stronger nearer an object
13- In terms of field lines, explain why the force between two objects repelling each other decreases with
distance.
14- In terms of fields lines, explain why the force on an electron increases as it approaches the nucleus of an atom.

7
Exam questions
1- A student used some everyday items to investigate static
electricity. The figure shows a flexible plastic strip being
rubbed with a cloth.

a) Complete the sentence.

Rubbing the plastic strip with the cloth causes the strip to
become negatively charged because ____________________
move from the cloth onto the plastic strip. (1)
b) Complete the sentence.
The cloth is left with ____________________ charge. (1)
c) The student hung the plastic strip over a wooden rod. The ends of the strip moved
away from each other. The figure shows the position of the plastic strip on the wooden
rod

What two conclusions should the student make about the forces acting on the two
halves of the plastic strip?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________ (2)

d) Another student repeated the experiment using the same method and found the plastic strip moved in the
same way. Complete the sentence with one of the following options: an anomaly; reproducible; repeatable.

The investigation was _____________________ . (1)

3- The figure below shows a slide in a children’s playground.

(b) The slide is made of plastic.
(i) The child becomes electrically charged when he goes down the
slide. Explain why.

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________ (2)
(ii) Going down the slide causes the child’s hair to stand on end.
What conclusion about the electrical charge on the child’s hair can be made from this observation?

___________________________________________________________________________________
Give a reason for your answer.

________________________________________________________________________________ (2)
(iii) Why would the child not become electrically charged if the slide was made from metal?

________________________________________________________________________________ (1)

8
Lesson 2 Static electricity
applications
Producing static electricity
Rubbing two insulating materials can
produce static electricity. The friction allows
electrons to transfer from one object to
another, making the receiving one.

Example: a balloon rubbing in a woolen

jumper. Electrons are transferred from the
jumper to the balloon. The balloon
becomes negatively charged. The jumper becomes positively charged. The balloon is then attracted to the
jumper since they have opposite charges.

The sparking that you see is made of electrons that jump from the negatively charged to the positively charged
material, pulled by the electrostatic force.

Example 2: Van de Graaf generator

A van de Graaff generator is like an industrial version of rubbing a balloon on a jumper,
transferring electrons from one place to another. Electrons are removed from the
outer metalic shell and transferred to the wire.

Applications of static electricity

A- An electrostatic precipitator is used to take smoke particles out of waste gases.
1. Smoke particles pick up a negative charge.
2. Smoke particles are attracted to the collecting plates.
3. Collecting plates are knocked to remove smoke particles.

B- Photocopies also make use of electrostatics:

1. Photoconductor is negatively charged.
2. White parts of paper reflect light & release areas of
negative charge.
3. Toner (ink particles) is
positively charged.
4. Toner attracted to areas
of leftover negative charge

C- Printers work in the following

way:
1. Ink particles are positively
charged.
2. Computer controls voltage
on plates, controlling
deflection.
3. Ink deposits on the right
place on the paper.

9
Practice questions
Level I
1- Name three devices that use electrostatics.
2- The diagram to the right shows how static electricity
is used to paint a metal car panel. Use words from the
box to complete the following sentences.

All the paint droplets have the same type of charge. This makes
the paint droplets __________ each other and spread out. The
car panel and the paint droplets have the _____________ type
of charge. This causes the car panel to __________ the paint
droplets. The car panel is covered by an even layer of paint.

Level II
3- Name a situation in which static electricity is dangerous and
not useful. Give a reason for your answer.
4- Describe how an electrostatic precipitator works (3).
5- Describe how a photocopier works (4).
6-Describe how an ink-jet printer works (2).
7- The diagram to the left shows a student touching the metal dome of a Van de Graaf generator. When the generator is
switched on, the metal dome becomes negatively charged.
Explain why the student’s hair stands on end when the generator is switched on. (2)
Level III
8- In an experiment, an insulator becomes negatively charged when it is
rubbed with a dry cloth.
a) In terms of electron transfer, explain why the insulator
becomes negatively charged.
b) Explain why the insulator does not lose its charge.
9- A positively charged object, X, and another charged object, Y, repel
each other.
a) What is the type of charge on Y?
b) Y is removed and a negatively charged object, Z, is brought
near to X. State whether X and Z attract or repel each other.

10- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are two common types of plastic that can be recycled
from household waste. They need to be separated in the recycling plant. The waste plastics are crushed into small chips
and tumbled together. The PET chips become positively charged. The PVC chips become negatively charged.
a) Explain how the PET chips become positively charged and the PVC chips
become negatively charged. (2)
b) The mixture is dropped onto a rotating drum.
The mixture sticks to the outside of the drum.
The mixture goes past a metal rod that has a positive charge. PVC chips leave
the drum and fall into the collecting bin on the right. Explain why the PVC
chips leave the drum. (2)
c) The PET chips are carried round until they reach the scraper.
They fall into the collecting bin on the left. Both of the bins and the scraper
are connected to earth. Suggest why the bins are the scraper are connected
to earth. (1)

10
Exam questions
1- The figure shows a Van de Graaff generator that is used to investigate static electricity. Before it is switched on,
the metal dome has no net charge.
After it is switched on, the metal dome becomes positively charged.
a) Explain how an uncharged object may become positively charged. (3)
b) The next figure shows a plan view of the positively charged metal dome of a Van de Graaff generator.
Draw the electric field pattern around the metal dome when it is isolated from its surroundings. Use arrows to
show the direction of the electric field. (2)
c) Another positively charged object is placed in the electric field.
In which position would the object experience the greatest force? P,Q,R or S? Explain your choice (2)

2- An electrostatic air filter is designed to remove

dust particles from the air in a room.
A fan blows dusty air past several metal rods and
metal plates
There is a large potential difference between the
metal rods and the metal plates.
a) Complete the sentence:
When dusty air goes past the metal rods, the dust
particles become negatively charged. This is
because the dust particles ______ __________.
(2 words) (1)

b) When the dusty air blows past the metal plates,

the dust particles settle on the metal plates.
Explain why the dust particles settle on the metal
plate. (2)

c) i) State what happens to the charge on the dust particles when they settle on the metal plates. (1)
ii) Explain why the charge does not build up on the metal plates. (2)

11
Lesson 3: Charge and current
Charge: Negatively charged electrons are given a force by a battery (or power supply) and move throughout a circuit.
Charge has units of coulombs. Each electron carries a charge of -1.6 × 10-19 C. Therefore there are about 6.25 × 1018
electrons in one coulomb.

Current: The rate of flow of charge (i.e. how much charge is flowing every second). Current has units of Amps and is
measured with an ammeter. The ammeter measures the number of charges that flow through it in one second. They
therefore must go in series.
Charge, current and time are linked by the equation:
I=Q÷t
Where I = Current (Amps, A); Q = Charge (Coulombs, C); t = Time (s)
Example question: Calculate the current when 4 C of charge passes a point in 8 seconds.

Step 1: Write down the variables (quantities you know).

Q = 4 C; t = 8 s
Step 2: Write the equation.
I=Q÷t
Step 3: Substitute and solve
I=Q÷t
I= 4 ÷ 8
I= 0.5 A

Example 1: Calculate the current when 5 C of charge passes a point in 20 seconds.

Step 1: Write down the variables (quantities you know).

Q = _______; t = ____
Step 2: Write the equation.
I=Q÷t
Step 3: Substitute and solve
I=Q÷t
I= ___ ÷ ___
I= ______

Example 2: Calculate the amount of charge that passes a wire with a current of 2 mA in 2 minutes.

Step 1: Write down the variables (quantities you know).

Q =?; t = _______ ; I=____________
Step 2: Write the equation.
I=Q÷t
Step 3: Substitute and solve
____= Q ÷ ___
Q= ___ x ___
Q= ______

12
Practice sheet
Level I: Find the unknown quantity – show your working in your books:

a) I = b) I = c) I = d) I = e) I = f) I =

Q = 8.0 C Q = 240 C Q = 400 C Q = 750 C Q = 300 C Q = 50 C

t = 20 s t = 300 s t = 200 s t = 350 s t = 100 s t = 2.0 s

g) I =2.0 A h) I = 2.5 A i) I = 5.0 A j) I = 13 A k) I = 10 A l) I = 6.0 A

Q= Q= Q= Q= Q= Q=

t = 5.0 s t = 300 s t = 200 s t = 350 s t = 100 s t = 2.0 s

m) I = 5.0 A n) I = 4.0 A o) I = 20 A p) I = 5.0 A q) I = 6.0 A r) I = 2.4 A

Q = 20 C Q = 240 C Q = 400 C Q = 750 C Q = 300 C Q = 50 C

t = t = t = t = t = t =

Level II - conversion needed

a) I = ___________ b) I = 0.3 A c) I = 0.9 A

Q = 140 C Q = ___________ Q = ___________

t = 4 min = _______ s t = 1.5 hours = _______ s t = 3 min = _________ s

d) I = ___________ e) I = 1.5 A f) I = 0.4 A

Q = 200 C Q = ___________ Q = ___________

t = 5 min = _______ s t = 2 hours = _______ s t = 7 min = _________ s

g) I = 10 mA h) I = 0.5 mA i) I = 0.1 mA

Q=2C Q=5C Q = ___________

t = _______ s t = _______ s t = 2 days = _________ s

Level III - Word problems

1. How much current must there be in a circuit if 1000 coulombs flow past a point in the circuit in 4 minutes?
2. A circuit is switched on for half a minute and 90 coulombs of charge flowed. What was the current flowing
through the circuit?
3. If there is a current of 10 mA in a circuit for 0.5 s, what quantity of electric charge flows in through the circuit?
4. How much time is required for 0.3 coulombs of charge to flow past a point if the rate of flow (current) is 2 mA?
5. During electrolysis 6A was passed through some copper chloride and a charge of 1.2 kC flowed. How long was
the experiment on for?
6. A bed lamp is switched on for 10 minutes. It works on a current of 0.5 A. How much charge flowed?

13
Exam questions

Q1. The plug of an electrical appliance contains a fuse.

The diagram below shows the structure of a fuse.

(b) Write down the equation that links charge flow, current and time.

__________________________________________________________
(1)

(c) The fuse wire melts when 1.52 coulombs of charge flows through the fuse in 0.40 seconds.

Calculate the current at which the fuse wire melts.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Current = _______________________ A
(3)

2- The diagram shows a temperature sensing circuit used to control a heating system in a house.

(a) What quantity does the ammeter measure? (1)

(b) Calculate the charge that flows through the thermistor in 5 minutes when the current is 3.5 mA.
Charge = ____________________ C (3)

14
Lesson 4: Potential difference, power and energy
Potential difference is the difference in energy that charge carriers have between two points in a circuit. The
following equation shows this:

Where V is the potential difference (in Volts)

E is the energy (in Joules)
Q is the charge (in Coulombs)

Potential difference is measured using a voltmeter connected in parallel

Ex: For the circuit on the right, calculate the energy transferred by the battery when 5
Coulombs of charge pass through it.
V= 6 Volts; E=? ; Q=5 Coulombs
V=E ÷ Q
6=E ÷ 5
E= 30 J

Power is a measure of how much energy is transferred per second:

The power supplied by a cell can be found by using the energy from the potential energy definition (V=E÷ Q or
E=VxQ):
P=E÷t
P=VxQ÷ t (Remember current I=Q÷ t)

Where P is the power (in Watts)

I is the current (in amperes)
V is the potential difference (in volts)

Ex: For the cell in the circuit on the right:

a) How much power does the cell on the right provide?
P=? ; V= 6 Volts; I=0.1 A
P= VxI
P=6x0.1=0.6 W
b) How much energy does it provide in 50 s?
P=0.6 W; t= 50 s; E=?
P= E ÷ t;
0.6 = E÷ 50;
E= 30 J
c) How much charge passes the cell in the 50 seconds?
I=0.1 A; Q=?; t=50 s
I=Q ÷ t;
0.1 = Q ÷ 50
Q= 5 coulombs

15
Practice
Level I - apply the equations
1- Calculate the energy transferred for the following cases:
a) when a cell of 5 coulombs of charge pass through a 3V cell.
b) A lamp that had 30 C of charge passing through and the potential difference is 20 V.
3- Calculate the voltage across a cell if it provides a total of 150 J of energy to 30 C of charge that flows through it.
4- Calculate how much charge passed through a resistance if there is 5V potential difference across it and 100 J of
energy were released as thermal energy.
5- Calculate the power for the following cases:
a) A 3V cell gives if the current is 0.1 A.
b) A lamp that has 230 V of potential difference and 0.2 A of current.
6- Calculate the current:
a) a lamp is using 50W of power and has 230V (mains voltage) of voltage across it.
b) a lamp is using 25W of power and has 230V (mains voltage) of voltage across it.
Level II - Use circuit information
7- For circuit 1:
a) how much power is the cell supplying the circuit?
b) how much energy do 5 C of charge receive from the cell?
8- For circuit 2:
a) If the bulb is using 25 W of energy how much is the current?
b) How much charge passed through the bulb if 25 J was used by it?
c) How much energy do 5 C of charge lose when passing the bulb?
9- For circuit 3:
a) If the resistor is receiving 25 W of power, how much is the current in the ammeter?
b) How much power is the bulb receiving?
c) Using conservation of energy, how much power is the cell supplying?
d) How much voltage is the cell supplying?

Level III (Use circuits, both equations and recall P=E/t)

10- A radiator is mounted as the circuit on the right.
a) How much power does the radiator use?
b) How much energy is supplied to the radiator in 5 minutes.
c) How much charge passes the resistor in those 5 minutes?

11- You connect two light bulbs in series as the with the mains electricity.
a) Each light bulb consumes 50 W. How much power must the mains
supply to turn both lights on?
b) What value will the ammeter show? Give the number and unit.
c) How much voltage will each bulb have?
d) How much energy in kWh will the bulbs consume in a day on?
f) If 1 khW costs 12 p, how much will that cost?
e) How much charge passed through the cell in a day?

16
Exam questions
Q1
(a) The diagram shows the
circuit used to obtain the data
needed to plot the
current–potential difference
graph for a filament bulb.
(i) The bulb is at full
brightness when the potential
difference across the bulb is 12
V.
The current through the bulb is then 3 A.
Calculate the power of the bulb when it is at full brightness and give the unit.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Power = _________________________
(3)
Q2
The circuit diagram below shows a circuit used to supply electrical energy to the two headlights of a car.

The current through the filament of one car headlight is 3.0 A. The potential difference across each of the
two headlights is 12 V.
(a) Calculate the power supplied to the two headlights of the car.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Answer ______________ W (2)

(b) The fully charged car battery can deliver 72 kJ of energy at 12 V. How long can the battery keep the
headlights fully on?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Answer _______________ s
(2)

17
Lesson 5: Resistance and Ohm’s law
Resistance is a measure of how hard it is for the current to pass through a
component in a circuit.
The higher the resistance of a component the harder it is for the current
to pass through that component.
Resistance is caused when electrons collide with atoms/ions in a metal.

The thinner the wire, the greater the resistance as there is a higher
chance of a collision. The higher the temperature the higher the
resistance. If the wire is hotter the atoms vibrate faster and so again there
is a higher chance of a collision. This causes resistance to again increase.

Ohm’s law states that the current through a resistor is proportional to

the potential difference provided that the temperature is constant.
This means if you double the current, voltage doubles. Where:

I 🡪 current in amps (A)

V 🡪 potential difference in volts (V)
R 🡪 resistance in ohms (Ω)

Example:
In the example on the right, we have a variable resistor connected in series with a battery.

1-If the variable resistor has 100 Ω of resistance, how much current flows in the circuit?

Step I: Variables: R= 100 Ω; V= 6 V; I=?

Step II: Equation: V=I x R
Step III: Substitute and solve: 6 = I x 100
I= 6 ÷ 100
I=0.06 A

2- If you double the voltage on the battery, what happens to the resistance and the current?
Resistance stays the same: R= 100Ω
Voltage doubles V->12 V
Current will double: I=12 ÷ 100= 0.12 A

3- If you double the resistance what happens to the voltage across the resistor and the current?
Resistance doubles: R->200 Ω
Voltage stays the same: V= 6 V
I= 6 ÷ 200 = 0.03 A. Current halves!

18
Practice

Level I
1- Calculate the voltage V for each of the following:
a. I = 8 A and R = 10 Ω
b. I = 5 A and R = 2.5 Ω
c. I = 10 A and R = 0.2 Ω

2- Calculate the current I for each of the following:

a. V = 20 V and R = 10 Ω
b. V = 10 V and R = 20 Ω
c. V = 0.2 V and R = 5 Ω

3- Calculate the resistance R for each of the following:

a. I = 4 A and V = 20 V
b. I = 20 A and V = 10 V
c. I = 15.5 A and V = 5.5 V

Level II

4- An electric kettle uses mains voltage (230 V). The current is 10 A. What is the resistance?

5- A light bulb with resistance 60 Ω is connected to a 12 V battery. What is the current?

6- A hairdryer uses mains voltage (230 V). It takes a current of 5 A. Work out the resistance.

7- A toy tractor has a 4.5 V battery operated motor. The resistance of the motor is 15 Ω. What is the current?

8- A portable CD player takes a 6 V battery. The loudspeaker has a resistance of 4 Ω. What is the maximum current
through the loudspeaker?

Level III

9- Calculate the voltage V if I = 1000 mA and R = 5 Ω

10- Calculate the current I if V = 100 mV and R = 2.5 Ω

11- Calculate the resistance R if I = 20 mA and V = 10 mV

12- A torch takes a 3 V battery. The light bulb for the torch has ‘0.2 A’ stamped on the side, so 3 V gives a current of 0.2
A.

a What is the resistance of the bulb?

b An old battery with voltage 1.5 V is used instead. How much current will flow through the torch bulb?

c What effect will this have on the torch?

13- A torch has resistance 120 Ω and the current is 100 mA. What is the battery voltage?

14- When a 5 kΩ resistor is connected to a power supply 18 mA of current passes through it. What is the voltage of the
power supply?

19
Exam questions

1- The student built another circuit which is shown in figure on the right.

a) Write down the equation which links current, potential difference and resistance.

________________________________________________________________ (1)

b) There is a potential difference of 3.6 V across the lamp in Figure 3.

The current through the lamp is 0.80 A. Calculate the resistance of the lamp.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Resistance = ___________________________ Ω (3)

2- The diagram shows a temperature sensing circuit used to control a heating system in a house.

(a) What quantity does the ammeter measure?

___________________________________________________________________ (1)
(b) The current in the circuit is 3.5 mA when the potential difference across the thermistor is 4.2 V
Calculate the resistance of the thermistor.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Resistance = ____________________ Ω (3)

(c) Calculate the charge that flows through the thermistor in 5 minutes when the current is 3.5 mA.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Charge = ____________________ C (3)

20
Lesson 6: Current in series and parallel
Series vs parallel circuits
A series circuit has only one complete pathway or loop.
Parallel circuit has more than one possible loop.

Current in series vs parallel circuits

In a series circuit the current flow through one continuous
path. This means that the current is the same at any point in
the series circuit.

In the series circuit opposite, the current is 1 Amps in all

positions.

In a parallel circuit current splits and merges at the junctions.

In the circuit on the right, the 3 A split at the junction into 1.5 A in each branch,
and merge back to 3 A at the second junction.

However, current only splits equally if the resistance in each path is equal.

Current prefers to take the path of least resistance.

In the diagram on the right, the resistance on the top branch is

double the resistance of the bottom branch, so the current
needs to be double in the bottom branch (2A vs 1 A).

Circuits demo
For each circuit record the current in the ammeter.

21
Practice

Level I

Level II

22
Level III

1- The resistors in the circuit opposite are not of equal resistance. What
is the current on the remaining ammeters? Explain why.

2- What is the current through

resistor Y? Explain why.

3- The picture on the right shows an

electric cooker hob. The simplified circuit diagram shows how
the four heating elements connect to the mains electricity
supply. The heating elements are identical.
At full power the hob draws a current of 26 A. What is the
current through each heating element?

4- The diagram above shows how someone could get an

electric shock from accidentally cutting into an electric cable. If
this happens, the fuse can overheat and melt.
What is the current in the hedge trimmer above? Why?

5- What is the current in the ammeter in the diagram to the right? Why?

Exam questions

a) Complete the sentence.

Electric current is the rate of flow of ____________________. (1)
The figure on the right shows a parallel circuit.
b) Calculate the current measured by ammeter A2.
Current = ____________________ A (1)
c) The circuit is connected for 300 s
The total current in the circuit stays at 0.56 A
Calculate the total charge flow. (2)
________________________________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

23
Lesson 7: Potential difference in series vs parallel circuits
In any circuit, if you follow any closed loop (starting and ending at the same point, the potential difference
supplied by the cells/batteries is equal to the sum of potential differences of all other components in that path.
This is because of energy conservation, The total energy supplied needs to be equal to the total energy
consumed.

Series circuit:

In a series circuit, the potential difference supplied by the battery is shared by the
components. So, the sum of the potential difference across the components equals
the battery voltage.

Worked Example

1-How much is the p.d. across each resistor?

Resistors are identical 6 V are supplied by the battery, so each cell must consume 3V
each.
This way p.d. supplied (6 V) is the same as p.d. consumed (3V+3V=6V).

Example 2:

1-How much is the p.d. across each resistor?

The second resistor has double the resistance, so will take double the voltage. So the
p.d. acros the 50 Ω is 2 V and across the 100 Ω is 4V.
Again the total p.d. supplied (6 V) is the same as p.d. consumed (2V+4V=6V).

Parallel circuit:

In a parallel circuit, the potential difference across each branch is the same
as the potential difference across the battery.

Example 1:
1-In the first circuit on the right, how much is the p.d. across each resistor?

The potential difference across each resistor is 6 V.

Example 2:
2-Looking at the second circuit on the right, how much is the p.d. across
each resistor?

Even though the resistors are different, the potential difference across each resistor is 6 V.

Example 3:

The light bulbs in circuit A share the p.d. from the cell so
will use 3 V each, becoming dimmer.

The light bulbs on circuit B will have both 6V of p.d., and

so they will shine as bright as a single lamp circuit. This
means however that the cell is going to run out sooner
for circuit B than circuit A.

24
Practice
Level I

1- a) What is the unit for potential difference?

b) How do we measure potential difference?
c) For each circuit on the right, how much is V1?
How do you know?

2- 1.5 V cell is connected to two 5.0 Ω resistors in series

with each other.
a) Draw a circuit diagram for this circuit
b) Calculate the voltage across each resistor
3- A 3.0 V cell is connected to two 10 Ω resistors in parallel with each other.
a) Draw a circuit diagram for this circuit
b) Calculate the voltage across each resistor

Level II

4- A circuit contains a battery of two cells, with each cell providing 1.5 V. The circuit also has two resistors connected in
series. Resistor P has a resistance of 20 Ω and resistor Q has a resistance of 10 Ω.
a) Draw the circuit diagram for this circuit
b)Calculate the potential difference across each resistor
c) How much is the current through the 20 Ω resistor?
d) How much is the current through the 10 Ω resistor?
e) How much is the current through the cell?
5- A circuit contains a 6 V battery and three resistors connected in parallel with each other and with the battery.
R1 = 2 Ω; R2 = 3 Ω; R3 = 6 Ω
a) Draw a circuit diagram for this circuit
b) Calculate the p.d. across each resistor
c) Calculate the current through each resistor
d) Calculate the current through the battery

Level III

6- For each circuit on the right,

find V1 and V2

7- The battery in this circuit has a

potential difference of 12V, each bulb has a resistance of 5Ω, calculate the
current in A1, A2 and A3
a) The two bulbs are identical, calculate the voltage over them
b) What would happen to the brightness of the bulbs if you
added another bulb in series with the first two?
c) What would happen to the brightness of the bulbs if you
added another two bulbs in parallel to the first two?

25
Exam questions
Q1
Figure 2 shows a circuit containing a 6 V battery. Two resistors, X and
Y, are connected in parallel. The current in some parts of the circuit is
shown.
(i) What is the potential difference across X?

Potential difference across X = _______________ V (1)

(ii) Calculate the resistance of X.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

Resistance of X = _______________ Ω
(2)
(iii) What is the current in Y? Current in Y = _______________ A (1)
(iv) Calculate the resistance of Y.

______________________________________________________________

Resistance of Y = _______________ Ω (1)

(v) When the temperature of resistor X increases, its resistance increases.
What would happen to the potential difference across X, current in X, and total current in the circuit? Tick ( )
three boxes. (3)

Decrease Stay the same Increase

Potential difference across X
Current in X
Total current in the circuit

Q2 a) The figure on the right shows how two lamps

may be connected in series or in parallel to the 230 volt
mains electricity supply.

i) Calculate the potential difference across each

lamp when the lamps are connected in series. The
lamps are identical.

____________________________________________

____________________________________________

Potential difference when in series = ___________ V (1)

ii) What is the potential difference across each lamp when the lamps are connected in parallel? (1)

________________________________________________________________________________________

iii) Give one advantage of connecting the lamps in parallel instead of in series.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________ (1)

26
Lesson 8- Resistance in series and parallel

Resistors in series
Resistances add together in a series
circuit.
RTotal = R1 + R2 (all in Ω).

Example 1: For the circuit on the right

a) how much is the total
resistance?
Resistors in series so total resistance = 10 Ω + 5 Ω = 15 Ω
b) How much is the current on the circuit?
R=15 Ω; V=6 V; I=?
V= IxR
6 = I x 15
I=2.5 A
c) How much is the voltage across each resistor?
5 Ω resistor: V = I × R = 0.4 × 5 = 2V
10 Ω resistor: V = I × R = 0.4 × 10 = 4V
Note that these potential differences add up to give the total potential
difference across the battery (6V).

Resistors in parallel
If you add resistors in parallel the total
resistance decreases, because there are
more paths for the current to flow
through.

Example 2:
1- For the circuit on the right, how much
is the current going through the cell:
a) if switch 1 is on?
V=3 V; R=10 Ω; I=?
V=IR
3=Ix10
I=0.3 A
b) if switch 2 is on?
V=3 V; R=20 Ω; I=?
V=IR
3=Ix20
I=0.15 A
c) if both switches are on?
Total current = 0.15 + 0.3 = 0.45 A
d) What is the total resistance of the circuit? How does it compare both
resistors resistance?
I= 0.45; V=3 V; R=?
V=IR
3=0.45 x R
R= 6.7 Ω.
Smaller than both resistors
27
Practice sheet
Level I
1- What happens to the total resistance of a circuit if you add resistors in series?
2- What happens to the total resistance of a circuit if you add resistors in parallel?
3- If you connect 5 Ω and 10 Ω resistors in series, how much is the total resistance?
4- If you connect 10 Ω and 10 Ω resistors in parallel:
a) how much is the total resistance? Choose an option
A-100 Ω
B- 5 Ω
C-20 Ω
b) justify your choice.

Level II
4- a) What is the total resistance of the circuit on the right?
b) How much is the current on the circuit?
c) How much is the voltage across the 50 Ω resistor?
d) How much is the voltage across the 100 Ω resistor?

5- a) What is the total resistance of the circuit on the right? Choose an option
from the
b) How much is the current going through the battery?
c) How much is the current across the 50 Ω resistor?
d) How much is the current across the 100 Ω resistor?
e) How much is the voltage across the 50 Ω resistor?
f) How much is the voltage across the 100 Ω resistor?

Level III
6- The diagrams show a hair-dryer and the circuit inside the
hair-dryer.
a) Switches S1, S2 and S3 are all shown in the OFF position. Which
switch or switches have to be ON to make:
i) only the fan work?
ii) both heaters work?
b) i) What happens to the current in the circuit when the
heaters are switched on?
ii) Suggest why it is important to have the fan working when the
heaters are switched on.

7- The circuit contains three identical lamps.

a) For the circuit, compare the current between two points:

i) A vs B
ii) A vs D.
iii) F vs E.
iv) F vs D.
b) In the circuit, which lamp is brightest?
Give a reason for your answer.

28
Exam question
1- (a) Electrical circuits often contain resistors. The diagram shows
two resistors joined in series.

Calculate the total resistance of the two resistors.

___________________________________________________________________

Total resistance = _________________________ Ω (1)

(b) A circuit was set up as shown in the diagram. The three

resistors are identical.

(i) Calculate the reading on the voltmeter.

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

Reading on voltmeter = ____________________ V (2)

(ii) The same circuit has now been set up with two
ammeters.

Draw a ring around the correct answer in the box to

complete the sentence.

The reading on ammeter A2 will be smaller than/ the same

as/ bigger than the reading on ammeter A1. (1)

2- A student built Circuit X and Circuit Y shown in Figure 2. The

components used in each circuit were identical.
a) How would the reading on the ammeter in Circuit Y compare to
the reading on the ammeter in Circuit X? (1)

_____________________________________

_____________________________________
b) How does the total resistance of Circuit Y compare with the total
resistance of Circuit X? (1)

_____________________________________

_____________________________________

3- A circuit was set up as shown in the diagram. Use a phrase

from the box to complete the following sentence.

The resistance of the lamp is

______________________________ 60 Ω.
Give a reason for your answer.

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

__________________________________________________ (2)
29
Lesson 9 - I-V graphs
The I-V graph tells us how the current changes with the potential difference applied to a component and how resistance
changes.
If an electric component has a I-V graph that is a straight line (directly proportional), then the resistance of that
component is constant and then we say that the component is Ohmic.
1. For example a resistor has constant resistance (as long as temperature is constant). So potential difference
is proportional to the current, provided that the temperature is constant. The resistor follows Ohm’s law
(it’s an Ohmic conductor) and its resistance is constant.
2. A filament light bulb does not follow Ohm’s law (it’s non-Ohmic). As voltage increases, the current
increases. Because the current increases the temperature of the filament increases. Because the
temperature of the filament increases, ions vibrate faster and collide more often with the electrons that
carry the current. This increases resistance.
3. An LED is also non-Ohmic and only allows current to flow in one direction. So it has a very low resistance
in the forward direction and very high resistance in the reverse direction. The LED will only shine if the
current flows in the right direction.

Resistance in IV graph
Then resistance in an I-V graph is found by using ohm’s law V = I x R, and the current from the graph for a given
voltage.

Example question:
1- The I-V graph of a component X is shown on the right.
a) What is the name of component X?
Light bulb
b) What is the current when a p.d. of 6 volts is applied across the
component?
From the graph: 1.3 amperes
c) What is the resistance of the lamp under a p.d. Of:
i) 6 V
V= 6 volts; I=1.3 amperes; R=?
V=IR
6=1.3xR
R=4.6 Ω
ii) 12V
V= 12 volts; I=2 amperes; R=?
V=IR
12=2xR
R=6 Ω

30
Practice sheet

1-Draw the symbols for the following components

a) Resistor b) Lamp c) LED

2-The voltage across a bulb is measured for various

different currents, with the results plotted opposite.
a) At what voltage does the lamp stop acting
like an Ohmic conductor (i.e. when does it
stop following Ohm’s law and being a straight
line)?
b) What is the current when the Voltage is:
i) 2V. ii) 6V. iii) 12V.
c) Calculate the resistance of the lamp at:
i) 2V. ii) 6V. iii) 12V.
d) What do you notice happens to the
resistance of the lamp as the voltage
increases?
e) Why does this happen to the resistance of
the lamp?

a)

4- Some electronic calculators use light emitting diodes (LEDs) to display numbers. Each number in a display consists of
up to seven LEDs. The LEDs are arranged as shown in the diagram below. The different numbers are formed by switching
different LEDs on at the same time. The LEDs are labelled A to G. A simplified circuit to provide power to the LEDs is
shown.
a) Explain why each LED has its own switch.
b) What number is displayed when all switches except E are closed?
c) Which switches would be open if the number 3 is to
be displayed?
d) Which of the numbers from 0 to 9 draws the least
current from the battery? Explain your answer.

31
Exam questions
1-a) The graphs, A, B and C, show how the current through a
component varies with the potential difference (p.d.) across the
component. Draw a line to link each graph to the correct component.
Draw only three lines. (2)
b) Each of the circuits, J, K and L, include two diodes.

In which one of the circuits, J, K or L, would the filament

lamp be on?

______________________________
(1)

2.
A
12
V

filament bulb is connected to a 12 V power supply.

The graph shows how the current changes after the bulb is
switched on.

a) i) After 0.10 seconds, the bulb works at its normal

brightness.

What is the current through the bulb when it is working at

normal brightness? (1)

(ii) The bulb works at normal brightness for 30 seconds before

it is switched off.

Calculate the charge that flows through the bulb in the 30 seconds before it is switched off. Give the unit. (3)

(iii) Calculate the energy transferred by the 12 V bulb when it is working at normal brightness for 30 seconds.(2)

(b) Between 0.02 seconds and 0.08 seconds, there is an increase in both the resistance and the temperature of
the metal filament inside the bulb.

Explain, in terms of the electrons and ions inside the filament, why both the temperature and the resistance
increase.(2)

32
33
Lesson 10 Sensing circuits:
Light dependent resistor (LDR)
The resistance of the LDR decreases with increasing light intensity.
As the light intensity increase, the resistance of an LDR decrease. This component
can be used to automatically turn street lights on/off when it gets dark/light for
example.

Thermistor

The resistance of a thermistor decreases with increasing temperature.

As the temperature increases, the resistance of a thermistor decreases.

This component can be used in a circuit that controls when central
heating of a flat/house turns on and off for example.

Sensing circuit example:

If the light level increases:
a) Resistance of LDR will decrease.
b) Voltage across the LDR will decrease.
c) Voltage across the resistor will increase.
d) Overall current in the circuit will increase.

Worked example. The graph shows how the resistance of an LDR varies with
light level. The circuit shows how the LDR is connected to a computer circuit. The
computer circuit turns on the street light when the potential difference across it is
less than 3V.
When the light intensity is 45 lux:
1- What is the resistance of the LDR?
1000 Ω
2 What is the total resistance of the circuit?
RTOT = R1 + R2 = 1000 + 1000 = 2000 Ω
3 What is the current in the circuit?
I = V ÷ R = 6 ÷ 2000 = 0.003 A
4 What is the potential difference across the fixed resistor?
V = I × R = 0.003 × 1000 = 3 V
5 Will the street lights be on or off?
Off, as the potential difference is not less than 3V.

34
Task: Complete in your exercise book

The circuit shows how the LDR is connected to a computer circuit.

The computer circuit turns on the street light when the p.d. across it is less than 3V.

When the light intensity is 80 lux:

1. What is resistance of the LDR?
2. What is the total resistance of the circuit?
3. What is the current in the circuit?
4. What is the p.d. across the fixed resistor?
5. Will the street lights be on or off?

When the light intensity is 10 lux

6. What is resistance of the LDR?
7. What is the total resistance of the circuit?
8. What is the current in the circuit?
9. What is the p.d. across the fixed resistor?
10. Will the street lights be on or off?

When the computer circuit has 3V across it

11. What is the current through the fixed resistor?
12. What is the total resistance of the circuit?
13. What is the resistance of the LDR?
14. What is the light intensity?

To enable the light intensity at which the street light comes on to be varied, the fixed resistor is replaced with a variable
resistor.
15. What value should the variable resistor have so that the switch comes on when the light intensity is 50 lux?

35
Exam questions
The diagram shows a temperature sensing circuit used to control a heating system in a house.

(a) What quantity does the ammeter measure?

___________________________________________________________________ (1)
(b) Explain how the readings on both meters change when the environmental conditions change. (6)

(c) The current in the circuit is 3.5 mA when the potential difference across the thermistor is 4.2 V

Calculate the resistance of the thermistor.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Resistance = ____________________ Ω
(3)

(d) Calculate the charge that flows through the thermistor in 5 minutes when the current is 3.5 mA.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Charge = ____________________ C
(3)

(e) The circuit shown in the diagram can be modified to turn lights on and off by replacing the thermistor with a
Light Dependent Resistor (LDR). Draw the circuit symbol for an LDR in the space below. (1)

36
Lesson 11 Electrical Power
The electrical power supplied to an appliance is the energy transferred to the appliance each second. It can be
calculated as follows:

P=IxV

Where:

I 🡪 current in amperes (A)

V 🡪 voltage in volts (V)

P 🡪 power in watts (W)

Example 1:
1- How much Power does a 5 V battery consume if it supplies a current of 10 mA = 0.01 A?
I=0.01 A
V= 5 V
P = V x I = 5 x 0.01 = 0.05 W

When an electric current passes through a resistor, the power supplied to the resistor heats it, and energy is
dissipated to the surroundings.

The electrical power supplied to the resistor can be calculated as follows:

P = I2 x R

Where:

I 🡪 current in amperes (A)

R 🡪 resistance in ohms (Ω)

P 🡪 power in watts (W)

Note that this second equation can be derived from the first equation by substituting V = I × R into it:

P=IxV

P=IxIxR

P = I2 x R

Example 2:
1-How much power does a 20 Ω lamp use if a current
of 0.34 A flow through it?
R=20 Ω; I=0.34 A; P=?
P=R x I²
P= 20 x 0.34²
P=2.31 W

37
Practice questions

Level I
1. Calculate the power P for each of the following:
a. I = 8 A and V = 20 V
b. I = 5 A and R = 2.5 Ω
c. I = 2 A and V = 0.2V
d. I = 0.1 A and R = 0.2 Ω

2. Calculate the current I for each of the following:

a. V = 20 V and P = 10 W
b. V = 10 V and P = 0.2 W
c. P = 5.5 W and R = 2.2 Ω
d. P = 0.2 W and R = 1.5 Ω

3. Calculate the resistance R for each of the following:

a. I = 4 A and P = 20 W
b. I = 20 A and P = 50,000 W
c. I = 0.015 A and P = 0.055 W

Level II
1. A light bulb is connected to a 2V supply and experiences a current of 6.4A. What is the power rating of
the bulb?

2. A kettle has a power rating of 1500w. What is the potential difference that it must be supplied with to
have a current flowing through it of 30A?

3. A student attaches a 10V supply to a bulb with a power rating of 100w. What is the current running
through the bulb?

4. The student now instead connects a 25w bulb to the same supply. What is the difference between the
current going through this bulb compared to the 100w bulb?

5. An electric radiator has a power of 2,000 W, and a resistance of 20 Ω. Calculate the current in the
circuit.

6. A household circuit can deliver a maximum of 13 Amps at a voltage of 230V. Calculate the maximum
power this circuit can output.

Level III
1. An electric radiator has a power of 3 kW, and a current of 3 Amps. Calculate the resistance in the
circuit.
2. An electric transformer outputs a voltage of 500 kV, and a current of 100 mA is drawn from the circuit.
Calculate the power drawn by the circuit.
3. A microwave has a power of 1 kW, and a resistance of 55 Ω. Calculate the current in the circuit.
4. An iPhone charger outputs a current of 3,000 mA at a power of 50 W. Calculate the voltage given out
by the charger.
5. A desktop computer uses a power of 0.5 kW, at a current of 5 A. Calculate the resistance of the
computer.

38
Exam questions
Q1.
The image shows a battery-powered drone.

(a) The battery in the drone can store 97.5 kJ of energy.

When the drone is hovering, the power output of the battery is 65.0 W

Calculate the time for which the drone can hover.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Time = ____________________ seconds

(3)

(b) The battery powers 4 motors in the drone.

Each motor has a resistance of 1.60 Ω when the power input to each motor is 19.6 W

The 4 motors are connected in parallel with the battery.

Calculate the current through the battery.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Current = ____________________ A (4)

39
Lesson 12 Electrical energy and cost
Energy in kWh
The most common units for energy is Joules, but
for electrical energy used at home we can also
use the units of kWh:

Example: convert 20 kWh into J

20 kWh = 20 x 1000 Wh = 20x1000x3600 Ws = 72000000 J or 72 MJ
Example 2: convert 2000 J into kWh
2000 J = 2000 Ws= 2000 ÷ 1000 kWs = 2000 ÷ 1000 ÷3600 kWh = 0.00055 J or 5.5 x10⁻⁴ J

Power and energy

To calculate the energy we can use the power equation, but need to use the units of kilo-watt (kW) for
power and hour (h) for time:
P-Power (kW);
E- Energy (kWh);
t- time (h)
Example: How much energy in kWh does a 2 kW oven uses in 2 hours?
E=?: t= 2h; P=2kW
P=E÷t
2=E÷2
E=4 kWh
Example 2: What is the power rate of a lamp that uses 1.5 kWh when running for a full day.
E=1.5: t= 24h; P=?
P=E÷t
P=1.5÷24
P=0.0625 kW = 62.5 W

Cost of electricity
If you know the cost of electricity per kWh
then you can calculate the amount you spend:

Example: How much does it cost to run a 200 W microwave for 5 minutes if the cost of electricity is 5p/kWh?
Calculating the energy used in 5 minutes in kWh:
P=200 W; E=? ; t=5 minutes
P=0.2 kW; E=? ; t=5÷60 h=0.083 h
P=E÷t
0.2 = E÷0.083
E=0.0166 kWh
Calculating the cost of the energy used used in 5 minutes in kWh:
cost=? E=0.0166 ; cost/kWh=5p
Cost = energy (kWh) x cost per kWh
Cost = 0.0166 x 5
Cost = 0.083 p

40
Practice sheet
Level I
1- If a light bulb has a power rating of 0.04 kW.
a) How much energy in kWh does it consume in 8 h?
b) How much does it cost to run the light bulb 8h if the cost of electricity is 2 p per kWh.
2- If a toaster has a power rating of 0.2 kW,
a) how much energy in kWh does it consume in 6 h?
b) How much does it cost to run the light bulb 8h if the cost of electricity is 2 p per kWh.
3- Convert 5000 J into kWh.
4- Convert 25 kWh into J.

Level II
5- In the table below three electrical appliances are
listed with their power ratings and the number of hours
they are used each week.
i) Complete the table by inserting the number
of kWh used by each appliance each week.
ii) Which appliance would cost the least to run
per week?
iii) The cost of running a toaster is 8p per week.
How much does it cost to run the kettle each week?
6- When photovoltaic cells modules are fitted on a roof,
the householder gets an extra electricity meter to measure the amount of energy transferred by the photovoltaic cells.
(i) The diagram shows two readings of this electricity meter
taken three months apart.
The readings are in kilowatt-hours (kWh).
Calculate the energy transferred by the
photovoltaic cells during this time period.
(ii) The electricity company pays 40p for each
kWh of energy transferred. Calculate the money the electricity
company would pay the householder.

Level III
7- a) A new freezer has an energy consumption of 225 kWh
An old freezer has an energy consumption per year of 350 kWh.
Assume 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy costs 12 p.
Calculate the extra cost of using the old freezer for one year.
b) The price of the new freezer was reduced in a sale.
Reducing the price reduces the payback time for replacing the old freezer from 12 years to 9 years.
Calculate, in pounds, how much the new freezer was reduced in the sale.
c) Does replacing the freezer benefit the environment? Yes/no? Explain the reason for your answer.
8- A homeowner had a new gas boiler installed.
a) The following information is an extract from the information booklet supplied with the boiler.
i) Calculate the energy transferred each second by the gas
boiler to the water inside the boiler.
ii) The energy value of the gas used in a home is measured in
kilowatt-hours (kWh). The homeowner has a pre-payment
meter and pays £30 into his account. With a pre-payment
meter, gas costs 15p per kilowatt-hour. Calculate the total
number of hours that the gas boiler would operate for £30.
(b) Although the gas boiler is very efficient, some energy is wasted. Explain what happens to the waste energy. (2
marks)

41
Exam questions

1- The diagram shows how one type

of electric storage heater is
constructed. The heater has ceramic
bricks inside. The electric elements
heat the ceramic bricks during the
night. Later, during the daytime, the
ceramic bricks transfer the stored
energy to the room.

a) i) Complete the following sentences using words from the box.

Energy is transferred through the metal casing by ___________________

The warm air rising from the heater transfers energy to the room by
________________________ (2)
(ii) The inside of the metal case is insulated. Which one of the following gives the reason why? Tick ( ) one box.

To transfer energy from the To stop energy from the To keep the ceramic bricks
ceramic bricks to the room room transferring into the hot for a longer time
faster heater

(1)

(b) In winter, the electricity supply to a 2.6 kW storage heater is switched on for seven hours each day.

(i) Calculate the energy transferred, in kilowatt-hours, from the electricity supply to the heater in seven hours.
Show clearly how you work out your answer.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Energy transferred = _________________________ kWh (2)

(ii) The electricity supply to the heater is always switched on between midnight and 7 am. Between these hours,
electricity costs 5 p per kilowatt-hour.

Calculate how much it costs to have the heater switched on between midnight and 7 am.

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Cost = _________________________ p (1)

42
Lesson 13 Mains
electricity
Direct vs alternating current
Direct current (d.c.) only flows in one
direction.

Alternating current (a.c.) constantly

changes direction.

Mains electricity
Mains electricity is an a.c. supply. In the UK it is about
230 V and it has a frequency of 50 Hz.

Electrical plugs
Most electrical appliances are connected to the mains
using a cable and a three-pin plug.

Three pins stick out through the

plug case the live pin, the neutral
pin and the earth pin.

The pins are made of brass because it is both a metal (so good conductor of electricity) and stronger than other
metals. The wires are made of copper, which is a metal (good conductor of electricity) and malleable (to be
drawn into wires).

The casing is made of plastic since it is an insulator.

Wire Collour Voltage Function

Live wire Brown 230 V Provides current
Neutral wire Blue 0V Completes the circuit

Earth wire Green and yellow stripes 0V Safety wire, prevents the casing of the device from becoming
live.

Short circuit protection

The plug contains a fuse between the live pin and the live wire.

If the current is too high, the fuse inside the electrical plug melts and breaks the
circuit, stopping the current from doing damage.
Circuit breaker can also stop a circuit when it detects too much current.
It is able to react faster than a fuse, and can be resetted.
43
Practice sheet
Level I
1. a) How does alternating current differ to direct current?
b) What is the frequency of the a.c. mains electricity supply in the UK?
c) What is the voltage of UK mains electricity?
2. What are the names and colours of the three pins in a plug?
3. a) Why are pins in a plug made of brass?
b) Why is the outer casing of a plug made of plastic?
4. a) What is the purpose of a fuse?
b) What causes a fuse to break the circuit?
c) Give one advantage of a circuit breaker over a fuse?

Level II
5. The diagram shows the inside of an incorrectly wired
three-pin plug.
a) What two changes need to be made so that the plug is wired correctly?
b) The fuse inside a plug is a safety device. Explain what happens
when too much current passes through a fuse.
c) Using the hairdryer in picture A is dangerous. However,
it is safe to use the battery-operated radio in picture B.
Explain why.
6. The diagram to the below shows someone accidentally
touching a live wire inside a dismantled 230 V mains
electricity socket.
a) The total resistance to current flow is 50 kΩ.
Calculate the current that will flow through the person. (Hint:
you need to use Ohm’s law and rearrange the equation).
b) Rubber is a good insulator. Explain why it is a good
idea for electricians to wear rubber soled boots when working.

Level III
7. A hair dryer designed to be used with the UK mains supply has a plastic cover. The cable connecting the
hairdryer to the plug does not have an Earth wire. Why does the hairdryer not need a cable with an
Earth wire?
8. An oscilloscope (this is a device used for measuring and showing voltage
over time) is connected to an alternating current (ac) supply. The
diagram shows the trace produced on the oscilloscope screen. Each
horizontal division on the oscilloscope screen represents 0.002 s.
Calculate the frequency of the alternating current supply. Hint:
frequency is a measure of how many cycles the current makes every
second.

44
Exam questions
Q1.
(a) Use numbers given in the box to complete the following sentences.

In the UK, the mains electricity supply is ________________________________ volts. The frequency of the UK
mains electricity supply is _______________________ hertz.
(2)

(b) The diagram shows a hairdryer designed to be used with the

UK mains supply. The cable connecting the hairdryer to the plug
does not have an earth wire.

(i) Why does the hairdryer not need a cable with an earth
wire?

_________________________________________
_________________________________________ (1)

(ii) Which one of the following materials are the two wires
inside the cable made from?

Draw a ring around your answer.

aluminium copper steel

(1)
Q2.
a)The diagram below shows the three pins in a mains plug. The pins connect with the live, neutral and earth
terminals in a socket.

On the diagram, label each pin to show which is: the live pin, the neutral
pin, the earth pin. (3)

b) The diagram to the right shows the inside of a mains plug.

i) Name one material which could be used for the part labelled X.
_________________________________________________________

ii) Complete the sentences below.

The part labelled Y is called the ___________________________________ .

This is used to hold the _______________________________ firmly in place.

The component labelled Z is the ___________________________________ .

iii) The plug is used with an electric fire.

Which part of the electric fire is connected to the earth pin?

______________________________________________________________ (5)

45
Lesson 14 The national grid
The national grid is made up of transformers and transmission cables.

Directly after a power station is a

step-up transformer. This increases
the voltage but decreases the
current. This reduces the energy lost
to heating in the cables, making the
transmission of electricity more
efficient.

The cables are also low resistance to

reduce energy lost to heating. Before
electricity is delivered to consumers
it goes to a step down transformer
which reduces the voltage to a safe
level for consumers. 230V is typically
used for use in homes and other
buildings.

Mini task:

The figure below represents parts of the National Grid.

e) Match the parts 1–4 in the list below with the labels A–D in the figure.

1 Domestic user ____________

2 Power station ____________

3 Step-down transformer ____________

4 Step-up transformer ____________

f) Write the correct voltage from the list below in each box in the figure.
230 V 25 kV 132 kV

46
Practice sheet:
The National Grid is a network of cables, pylons and transformers that distributes (‘shares out’) electrical
energy across the UK.
The diagram shows a simplified model of the National Grid system.
1. Which letter represents the power station? __________
2. Which letters represent a pylon? ________
and ________
3. Which letter represents the cables of the
National Grid? ________
4. Which letter represents a house close to the
power station? ________
5. Which letter represents a house far away
from the power station? ________
6. Bulb B is brighter than / the same brightness
as / dimmer than bulb A.
7. This happens because energy is gained /
remains constant / is lost as electric current
travels through the cable because of resistance.
8. The wasted / gained energy results in heating / cooling of the cables.
9. This system can be described as efficient / inefficient because some energy is wasted instead of being
transferred usefully.
10. Which Sankey
Diagram best
represents the energy
transfer to bulb B in
this model?

This diagram on the

right shows a more realistic model of the National
Grid system.
11. Name the two items that have been added.
________________________
12. What is the letter of the step up transformer?
________
13. What is the letter of the step down
transformer? ________
14. Bulb B is brighter than / has a similar
brightness to / dimmer than bulb A.
15. This indicates that more / less energy is being
wasted compared with the simple model.
16. (a) This indicates that the system is more /
less efficient than before.
(b) Which Sankey Diagram could show the energy transfer to Bulb B now?
17. The step up transformer increases / decreases the voltage of the power supply.
18. This results in the current being stepped down / stepped up.
19. The same amount of energy is being transferred as before: however, it is being transmitted as a high / low
voltage rather than a high / low current.
20. More / The same / Less energy is lost because the energy is carried as a large voltage rather than as a
large current.
21. The step down transformer increases / decreases the voltage to a safer level before it is used by the
consumer.
47
Exam questions
Q1. The diagram shows
how electricity is
distributed from power
stations to consumers.

(a) (i) What name is

given to the network of
cables and transformers
that links power stations to
consumers?

____________________________________________________________________________ (1)

(ii) What does a step-up transformer do?

____________________________________________________________________________ (1)

(iii) Explain why step-up transformers are used in the electricity distribution system.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________(2)

(b) Most of the world’s electricity is generated in power stations that burn fossil fuels.

State one environmental problem that burning fossil fuels produces.

____________________________________________________________________________ (1)

(c) Electricity can be generated using energy from the wind. A company wants to build a new wind farm. Not
everyone thinks that this is a good idea.

(i) What arguments could the company give to persuade people

that a wind farm is a good idea?

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________
(2)

(ii) What reasons may be given by the people who think that wind farms are not a good idea?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________ (2)

48